What causes hair loss in men?

More than half of men 50 or older have signs of hair loss. By the age of 70, fully 80 percent of men have visible hair loss. For men, there are a variety of reasons.

  • Male pattern baldness — Also known as androgenetic alopecia, this hair loss is genetically triggered. This is the most common reason for hair loss in men. It begins with the shrinking of the hair follicles, making the hair thinner, shorter, softer, and finer. From there, individual follicles become fully dormant, leading to areas of full baldness.
  • Medical problems — Anemia, thyroid problems, even diets low in protein and iron can cause male hair to thin. It can also be a side effect of drugs taken for cancer, arthritis, depression, cardiac issues, and high blood pressure.
  • Stress or shock — Severe stress or emotional shocks can cause hair loss, but this is usually temporary.
  • Infections — Infections such as ringworm can create bald patches or spots, but these usually grow back when the infection is treated.
  • Alopecia areata — The immune system attacks the hair follicles. This causes small patches of hair to fall out.

Androgenic Alopecia (AA)

Balding caused by sensitivity to male hormones (androgens). AA is the most common form of balding for both men and womem.  We do know that the genes leading to androgenic alopecia are carried on the maternal X chromosome. Consequently, men who possess only a single X chromosome are much more likely to go bald than women who require AA genes on both X chromosomes.

Can You Treat Androgenic Alopecia?

Finasteride and Propecia are effective in treating androgenic alopecia by blocking the function of 5-AR. Many hair loss shampoos will have labels suggesting topical 5-AR blocker activity.  The safety and efficacy of topical 5-AR blockers are unknown and not regulated by the FDA.

Minoxidil (Rogaine) is a topical medicine that has been shown to prevent androgenic alopecia although it does not interact with 5-AR activity.

What are the risks with PRP treatment for hair loss?

Because platelet-rich plasma is made from the patient’s own blood, this is a very low-risk procedure. At Kolstad Hair Restoration, we follow rigorous protocols to ensure a sanitary, clean delivery of effective PRP to the scalp.

Male Pattern Baldness

This condition is the thinning of hair in men where, typically, the top and front of the head begins to lose hair. Hair follicles possessing specialized receptors for DHT are genetically programmed to regress and die when exposed to this circulating hormone, causing male pattern baldness.

Can You Fix Male Pattern Baldness?

Male pattern baldness is not reversible, but you can fill in areas of hair loss with a hair transplant. Hair transplant surgeons will use grafts from regions of the scalp that are genetically resistant to DHT because these hair follicles do not possess DHT receptors, allowing the grafts to grow hair. The hair grafts that survive the transplant process will continue to grow as hair typically would.

Schedule a Consultation

For more information on men’s hair loss in La Jolla, CA, Call Dr. Kolstad today!